Space Marines (Warhammer 40,000)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This WFB or WH40K-related article or section describes an aspect of the series in a primarily in-universe style.
Please rewrite this article to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective.
The current Space Marine sourcebook (codex) cover
The current Space Marine sourcebook (codex) cover

The Space Marines are one of the major forces available in the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000. They are also known as the Adeptus Astartes and by the sobriquet "Angels of Death". The Space Marines have been a part of the Warhammer 40,000 universe since the very first table-top game set in the universe, Rogue Trader. They are loyal to the Imperium of Man. Compared to the Imperial Guard, the largest force of the Imperium, the Space Marines are much better trained and equipped, but exist in far fewer numbers than the Imperial Guard.

They are supersoldiers, specially chosen for natural ability, and have their innate superiority enhanced further by a combination of extensive training, mental conditioning and genetic alteration. Their dedication and steadfastness is a product of this superiority and indoctrination. Their structure and cultures are monastic in nature although often display features of other strict martial orders and warrior cultures throughout history.

The Space Marines wield the best equipment that the Imperium has to offer. They wear power armour to give them all-over protection, the ability to survive in hostile environments, and further enhance their already super-human speed and strength, and are equipped with superior weaponry as well. Their most common weapon is the bolter. Space Marines are also much taller than a standard human being, standing between seven and nine feet high when clad in their power armour.

The Space Marines are similiar to supersoldiers in earlier works of science fiction, including the Mobile Infantry from the novel Starship Troopers, the Sardaukar from the novel Dune and especially the Laserburn tabletop wargame setting.

Contents

[edit] Structure

The Adeptus Astartes is believed by many in the Imperium to be made up of just over 1,000 Chapters, each with a nominal fighting strength of 1,000 Space Marines. Individual Chapters have their own identity, heritage, fighting style and practice of beliefs. Most of the Chapters follow the organisational regimes and tactics laid down in the Codex Astartes, a treatise on the operations and procedures that should be followed by Space Marines, compiled at the time of the Second Founding by the Ultramarines' Primarch, Roboute Guilliman.[1]

A few of the Chapters have been described in detail, especially those that differ significantly from the norm ("non-Codex"). The majority of the rest have been left undescribed and this allows a player to make up their own history and colour scheme for their army.

Each "Codex" Chapter is organised into ten Companies (battlegroups) numbered one to ten. In a full strength Chapter each company will consist of one hundred marines, led by a captain, a chaplain and apothecary (medic). Each company has its own Rhino armoured personnel carriers to transport it and also has its own banner recording the battlegroups past engagements and awarded honours. The Chapter's veteran marines are organised into the first company where they have access to the finest wargear, weapons and armour, including rare suits of tactical dreadnaught (or 'terminator' to give its common name) armour. The 2nd to 5th "Battle" Companies comprise six ten-man Tactical (multi-role) squads, two ten-man Assault (jump pack or motorbike equipped close combat) squads and two ten-man Devastator (heavy weapon) squads. The 6th - 9th Companies are "Reserve" companies intended to support the "Battle" companies in their operations. The 6th and 7th companies comprise ten ten-man Tactical squads. The 8th "Reserve" company is composed of ten ten-man Assault squads and often crew the chapter's land speeder vehicles. The 9th "Reserve" company fields ten ten-man Devastator squads and are often used to crew the company's armoured fighting vehicles (such as the Predator, Vindicator and Whirlwind) attached to other battle-groups. The Tenth Company is composed entirely of Scouts; the Chapter's new recruits who lack the experience of the rest of the Chapter.

"Non Codex" Chapters do not adhere strictly to the structures laid down in the codex and may have more than 1,000 Marines.

They are a unique faction within the Imperium in that they are independent of Imperial Law. Like the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Adeptus Astartes are an autonomous entity within the usually totalitarian regime of the Imperium. They have their own space transports, and each Chapter occupies its own homeworld or star fortress (and other equivalents). By comparison the Imperial Guard has to rely upon the Imperial Navy for transportation; a deliberate move to curtail their power. Even Inquisitors, whose power and authority is considered unlimited, use discretion when dealing with Space Marines and generally ask for assistance instead of demanding it; Astartes Chapters are viewed as dangerous though valuable allies.

[edit] History

[edit] The Legions

The First Space Marines were produced by and using the genetic material of the God-Emperor's twenty Primarchs. These were exceptional individuals, with great and varied powers. There were twenty Legions in all, each under the command of their Primarch. The Legions were incredible fighting forces, composed of Mankind's greatest warriors and armed with the most advanced weaponry and equipment available to the Imperium. Each Legion contained thousands of Marines, and were many times the size of the later Chapters, with the only limit to their numbers being the amount of Gene-seed the Legion had for transforming humans into Marines.

After many years fighting to reunite the fragmented empire of humanity the Emperor returned to ancient Terra (Earth) handing the reins of 'the Great Crusade' over to Horus, primarch of the Luna Wolves. With this great honour was also bestowed the title Warmaster and the permission to rename his legion 'The Sons of Horus'. In the 31st millennium, nine of the Legions were corrupted by the influence of the Chaos gods, and rebelled against the Imperium and the Emperor's rule under the leadership of Horus. The already competitive legions fell upon each other cutting a swathe of destruction right to the heart of the Imperium. After a cataclysmic battle for the Emperor's palace, on Terra itself, the traitors were defeated and Horus was slain by the Emperor's own hand. Horus' defeat was not without cost however; the Emperor was left crippled and on the brink of death eternally consigned to 'the Golden Throne'. After the heresy, there were many fears of another Astartes rebellion, and so it was decided to divide the nine loyal Legions into smaller forces called Chapters, a thousand Marines to each. The Imperial Navy was also removed from their command with extreme limitations being impossed upon the fleets of the space marines. Every Chapter has some history back to one of the original loyal Legions through the geneseed of the primarchs.

[edit] Loyalists

During the Horus Heresy, 9 Legions remained loyal to the Emperor. After the defeat of Horus the Legions were separated into smaller "Chapters" of 1,000 Marines each. This was to prevent a single commander from having as much power as Warmaster Horus. The first Chapter of each of the old Legions retains the name of the founding Legion. All subsequent Chapters gain their own names and are referred to as Successor Chapters.

Loyal Legions
Name No. Primarch Primarch's World Current Base of Operation Comments
Dark Angels I Lion El'Jonson Caliban (Destroyed) The Rock (asteroid base) The first Legion to be created by the Emperor. The Dark Angels and their successors refer to themselves as "The Unforgiven". Highly secretive, they hunt the "Fallen Angels" (marines who sided with Chaos) as an attempt to redeem themselves of the taint upon their Legion's honour. Their gene-seed is stable, but is not officially used due to the terms of the taint on their honour; it is believed that their geneseed may have been used in the 13th 'cursed' founding.
White Scars V Jaghatai Khan Mundus Planus Mundus Planus The White Scars have a Mongolian-inspired culture and fast-attack combat doctrine. The Chapter makes extensive use of Blitzkrieg-like tactics, their strategies based chiefly on those of Genghis Khan. They are feared for their ability to storm the battlefield with lightning speed. They are almost never out-manoeuvred on the battlefield.
Space Wolves VI Leman Russ Fenris Fenris (The Fang) The Space Wolves are fierce warriors with an organisation that differs strongly to other Chapters. Though their loyalty is unquestioned, they are known for their fiercely anti-authority attitudes. The Space Wolves' culture and background is heavily influenced by the Viking civilization.
Imperial Fists VII Rogal Dorn Holy Terra Space (Phalanx) The Imperial Fists were charged with defending Holy Terra itself during the Siege of the Emperor's Palace, thus being one of the most honoured armies of Man. As such they are masters of defense, but they also are relentless and rather stubborn attackers who rather die than retreat.
Blood Angels IX Sanguinius Baal Secundus Baal Prime, Secundus The Blood Angels and their Successor Chapters have suffered from various gene-seed flaws, primarily the "Red Thirst" and "Black Rage" since the death of their Primarch (their pale skin and sharp canine teeth lend the Chapter a somewhat vampiric appearance to accompany this taint). The Blood Angels excel at close combat and assault tactics.
Iron Hands X Ferrus Manus Medusa Medusa The Chapter's warriors display a high incidence of cybernetic modifications to their bodies and all recruits have the left hand removed and replaced with a cybernetic replacement. The Iron Hands do not have a chapter master or Fortress Monastery (the constant tectonic activity of Medusa makes such structures impossible to maintain) like other chapters, but are instead ruled by a council made of the commanders of the ten companies, which themselves are independent and maintain their own massive land-crawler like mobile fortresses.
Ultramarines[2] XIII Roboute Guilliman Macragge Macragge (Fortress of Hera) The Ultramarines are rigid adherents to the Codex Astartes as their primarch created it to make sure his knowledge in warfare was preserved, and are the canonical Space Marine Chapter from whose genetic material most new Foundings are drawn, since their gene-seed is still possessed of all 19 implants.
Salamanders XVIII Vulkan Nocturne Prometheus (moon of Nocturne) Technically-adept warriors with a preference for short-ranged combat, the Salamanders favour heat-based weaponry and, visually, have an almost tribal appearance, with scarification being common among the Chapter's warriors.
Raven Guard XIX Corax Deliverance (originally named Lycaeus) Deliverance (Ravenspire Tower) The Raven Guard specialise in hit-and-run assaults using jump packs and extensive use of scout Marines. Their hero is named Kavyaan Shrike who specialises in fighting behind enemy lines and ambush tactics.

[edit] Traitor Legions

Of the Legions, nine sided with Horus and the forces of Chaos during the Horus Heresy. After their defeat they fled into the Eye of Terror, becoming the Chaos Space Marines.

Traitor Legions
Name No. Primarch Primarch's World Current Base of Operations Comments
Emperor's Children III Fulgrim Chemos (Unknown status, presumed destroyed) Eye of Terror Once the most loyal and steadfast defenders of humanity, the Emperor's Children now are hedonistic devotees of Slaanesh, deriving pleasure from the most extreme actions and sensations. They are also renowned for sonic warfare.
Iron Warriors IV Perturabo Olympia (Destroyed) Medrengard (Eye of Terror) The Iron Warriors are siege and trench warfare specialists. They favour heavy weaponry and fortifications.
Night Lords VIII Konrad Curze/Night Haunter Nostramo (Destroyed) Eye of Terror The Night Lords specialise in raids and terror tactics, taking special interest in psychological warfare.
World Eaters XII Angron No Record Eye of Terror The World Eaters are the chosen ones of Khorne and favour close combat. The Legion have devolved into bloodthirsty fanatics with no organised command structure, with a common desire to spill blood and collect skulls for their God.
Death Guard XIV Mortarion Barbarus (Destroyed) Plague Planet (Eye of Terror) The Death Guard are plague-ridden devotees of Nurgle who are driven to spread plague and pestilence across the galaxy to please their god. They are amongst the most organized of the Chaos Space Marines.
Thousand Sons XV Magnus the Red Prospero (Destroyed) Planet of the Sorcerers (Eye of Terror) The Thousand Sons are favoured by Tzeentch and value knowledge, especially arcane. The majority of the Legion have been rendered incorporeal by the Rubric of Ahriman and fight as walking suits of armour, led by the Legion's Sorcerers.
Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus XVI Horus Cthonia (Destroyed) Eye of Terror The Luna Wolves were renamed to Sons of Horus by the Emperor in honour of Warmaster Horus before the Horus Heresy erupted. After Horus’ death, Abaddon the Despoiler renamed them as the Black Legion, to remove the name of Horus after his defeat.
Word Bearers XVII Lorgar Colchis (Destroyed) Sicarus (Eye of Terror), Ghalmek (Maelstrom) The Word Bearers are strongly religious in mindset, worshipping all Chaos Gods as a pantheon; in fact, they are the only Traitor Legion to maintain the use of Chaplains (though the Word Bearers have renamed these twisted preachers "Dark Apostles" to indicate where their true faith lies). They are known for never retreating, even if facing certain destruction.
Alpha Legion XX Alpharius/Omegon Unknown Unknown The Alpha Legion adopted the hydra as their motif. Subtlety and covert operations are this Legion's forté, using minimalistic but devastating force against their enemies. Recent canon revealed that he had an identical twin named Omegon, however they were described as being "one soul in two bodies"

All the Traitor Legions' homeworlds were later destroyed or otherwise rendered uninhabitable (the Night Lords themselves destroyed their home world of Nostromo before the Horus Heresy). Each of the Chaos Legions, except the Alpha Legion, has since claimed a world within the Eye of Terror as a new homeworld. It is assumed that all of these new homeworlds have long since been transformed into Daemon Worlds, as all of the surviving Chaos Primarchs became Daemon Princes long ago.

It should be noted that one of the excommunicated Chapters, the Soul Drinkers, is not, in fact, a Chaos Legion, instead having declared the Imperium corrupt and failing in the Emperor's service, seceding from the Imperium to forge their own destiny. They have however weathered an attempted takeover of the Chapter by Chaos, with many battle-brothers becoming afflicted with mutations that would normally be reviled by their former comrades in the loyalist Chapters.

[edit] "Lost" Legions

In addition there are two other unnamed and undescribed First Founding Legions, Legions II and XI. Official lists of the First Founding Legions simply say that all records have been lost or destroyed since the Horus Heresy or by the Inquisition for its own reasons. Games Workshop has officially stated that they have been intentionally left unknown by the developers to allow players to make up their own background on the missing Legions. The second edition Ultramarines Codex suggests that these Legions seemed likely to have, at least initially, fought for Horus during the Heresy.

A common misconception among fans of the game is that the Grey Knights and the Legion of the Damned are the two missing First Founding Legions. This is incorrect - the Grey Knights, in actual fact, have no Primarch, and as such, their gene-seed is thought to come directly from the Emperor himself (more recent evidence seems to point to the Chapter originating from a loyalist contingent of the Death Guard Legion). Forces of Grey Knights now fight alongside daemonhunters armies and also ally with the imperial guard in desperate daemonic situations against the forces of chaos. They were formed during the Second Founding, and the Legion of the Damned are presumed to be the survivors of the Fire Hawks Chapter of the Cursed 21st Founding.[3] In older background, the Valedictors were a First Founding Legion but this was later changed.[4][5] Also, in the story "Hell in a Bottle", by Simon Jowett, which was included in the Black Library anthology, "Enter the Maelstrom", a Space Marine force named the Iron Hearts was briefly mentioned, along with the name of their "Primarch", Rubineck. The use of the term "Primarch" was later confirmed to be an error on the author's part, and has been corrected.

The Blood Ravens Chapter is known to be created from an unknown Primarch, but GW has slowly hinted that the Primarch is Magnus the Red of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion, or possibly Lorgar of the Word Bearers- possible if they were founded from surviving loyalist remnants of those legions. Thus, the Blood Ravens' unknown Primarch may be one that is known, but the fact has been expunged from their chapter records. In former editions, they suggested that Sigmar could have been a Primarch, but this has been retconned.

In the Black Library Horus Heresy novel series, Horus, in a chaos-induced dream sequence, apparently goes back in time and sees the cracked incubation capsule of Primarch XI before the Primarchs are scattered to the warp (the effect this has on the Primarch is inconclusive). Before doing this, he puts his hand on XI's capsule and feels "the untapped glories that might have lain ahead for what grew within, but knowing that they would never come to pass".

[edit] Later Foundings

In subsequent millennia, the Imperium has also created new Chapters of Space Marines, using gene-seed sampled from existing ones. Many of these Successor Chapters follow the beliefs and doctrines of the Chapter their genetic material originated from, while maintaining their own methods of operation and battle. According to Codex: Space Marines, the vast majority of new Chapters are founded using the Ultramarines gene-seed, as they have the most stable gene-seed and still have all 19 functional implants.

There are approximately a thousand Space Marine Chapters in existence, most of which follow the teachings of the Codex Astartes, but the exact number is not known.

An extensive list of canon Space Marine Chapters, including those of later Foundings, can be found at "List of Space Marine Chapters".

[edit] Progression of a Space Marine

A Space Marine is a vastly superior warrior when compared to a normal human. This is due to a series of biological enhancements, psychological conditioning, and heavy training. The end result of creating a Space Marine produces a soldier with abilities that are so superior to those of an average human that they are best described as superhuman.

The procedure detailed below is that described in Codex: Astartes, which is followed to a greater or lesser extent by all Chapters, although some Chapters do have slight variations to the Codex, such as Chapter-specific force selections, like the Blood Angels's Death Company, or the Dark Angel's ability to take Terminators or Ravenwing squads under different force organization slots. A notable exception to this are the Space Wolves, who employ a different system.

[edit] Recruitment

Different Space Marine Chapters follow different recruiting processes. Most recruits are drawn from the Chapter's homeworld. These worlds are often at a feral or medieval level of development, where traditional warrior castes compete for the honour of becoming a "warrior of the gods." Because feral planets are rough and primitive, their inhabitants make excellent fighting material, their very lifestyle serving as a selection process. Gang members of hive world cities, being just as merciless and barbaric as feral world inhabitants, also make ideal Space Marines. Not all potential recruits will survive the initial rigours of training and treatment one must undergo to become a fully-fledged Space Marine.

The selection of recruits must abide by certain criteria. First and foremost, a potential candidate must be male, as the gene-seed and zygote are synchronized to work with male hormones. They must be of adolescent age (preferably between ten and sixteen), as the implants are designed to coordinate with and increase the effectiveness of natural growth hormones and processes such as bone formation etc. They will thus fail or have no effect on adults - this became a major problem during the early history of some of the First Founding Chapters as a number of veteran warriors under the service of the Primarchs could not join the ranks of the Space Marines because of it. There must be a level of compatibility between the recruit and the gene-seed, otherwise the implanted organs will fail. After the implant of the gene-seeds and organs, the recruit is often left to survive on his own in an extremely hostile environment as the implants begin to take their effect, ensuring the recruit is strong and worthy enough to be a Space Marine. Also, the mental state of a potential Marine must also be receptive to the various training and psycho-conditioning regimes of the Chapter, and resistant to being tainted by Chaos (though corruption is still possible and a number of Marines still fall).

These criteria bar all but a minuscule percentage of people within the Imperium from becoming Space Marines. If all tests prove successful, the recruit is accepted into the Chapter. At this stage, implantation, psycho-conditioning, and physical training begin. Each step in this stage has its own dangers, ensuring that only the truly worthy become Space Marines.

[edit] Gene-Seed

Main article: Gene-seed

Gene-seed is the foreign genetic material introduced into a human during his transformation into a Space Marine. The genetic material is used to form nineteen implants, which are responsible for the physical transformation and abilities attributed to the Space Marines. These implants are surgically installed into a recruit over a period of years. One of the implants creates copies of the various implants during the maturation of the Space Marine, which are removed shortly before or after death, for future use.

The genetic modification is responsible for his physical changes. Gene-seed is a rare and precious resource for the Space Marines. Since the First Founding, the Space Marines have been unable to create new 100% pure implants quickly as samples of DNA must be extracted from the Progenoid Glands and new organs grown from these samples, and some no longer have all 19 implants within their Chapter's genetic repositories. The "purest" Chapters in this respect are the Ultramarines, who still have all 19 implants and no significant mutations or defects in the gene-seed, this being the reason that the Ultramarine gene-seed is the one most often selected to create new Chapters. Codex: Dark Angels also state that Dark Angel gene-seed is pure and few in mutations, but for some reason it is passed in favour of Ultramarines. All Chapters must annually donate 5% of their gene-seed to the Adeptus Mechanicus. The purpose of this is to monitor the overall genetic health of the Chapter and to facilitate the creation of new Chapters.

All Space Marine chapters still have a fully functioning "Black Carapace" implant, which is vital as it forms the interface with their power armour, and "Progenoid Gland" implant, which copies the genetic information of the other various implants for future use. Should either implants become lost, the entire Chapter will die out within about a millennium (as there will be no other way to produce more Marines without the Progenoid Gland and any new Marines cannot interface with their power armour if they do not have the Black Carapace).

[edit] Scouts

Main article: Space Marine Scouts

Once the recruit passes the battery of tests and challenges set by the Chapter, and the initial gene-seed implants have taken hold on his body, he is accepted into the Chapter as a Neophyte. These Neophytes will be trained in the history of the Chapter and the edicts of the Codex Astartes, while the remaining implants and modifications are made to his body.

Once a Scout begins his training and genetic modification, he is no longer permitted contact with his home or family, sworn to serve the Emperor and the Chapter until his death. The creation of a Space Marine is a dangerous process, and it is accepted that many will die during their indoctrination.

Certain Chapters take different approaches to the training of Scouts. Most will be inducted into the Tenth Company where they are trained and educated by veteran Marines, serving the Chapter as a light reconnaissance force. Some Chapters, most notably the Black Templars, apprentice their Scouts to a more experienced Space Marine, the Scout acting as a servant, and learning by example as they observe their mentor both in battle and in his daily life. The Space Wolves have cut out this part of their new recruits' training entirely, and all fresh Marines are pushed into the front lines as Blood Claws (fully-fledged Space Marines).


[edit] Battle-Brothers

Once the Neophyte's/Scout's period of training is complete, and all gene-seed organs have been implanted and verified, the Neophyte will often be sent on a final challenge to prove his worth. Upon the completion of this challenge, the Neophyte will become a full member of the Chapter, and will be assigned to one of the eight Battle or Reserve companies (or Chapter equivalent).

The new battle-brother is presented with a boltgun and a suit of power armour, the maintenance of which is his responsibility. Depending on the talents an Initiate demonstrated during his training, he will be assigned to one of three different squad types.

[edit] Tactical Squad

The main fighting force of a Chapter, the Tactical squads are versatile, able to adapt their equipment and tactics to suit any situation. Tactical squads make up the bulk of each Company, and specialists within each squad are trained to utilise various heavy and support weapons. A Tactical squad typically has one assault weapon and one heavy support weapon, for example, a Flamer and a Missile Launcher.

[edit] Assault Squad

Assault squads are specialist hand-to-hand fighters, trained for rapid movement and vicious attacks on enemy positions. Assault Marines are equipped with close combat weapons, and do not carry heavy support weapons. They are normally equipped with jump packs which allow them to get close to the enemy as quickly as possible. The jump packs also allow them to reach normally inaccessible positions.

[edit] Devastator Squad

Devastator squads are specially trained to provide fire support. The squad is typically equipped with a larger number of heavy weapons (such as heavy bolters or missile launchers) than a Tactical squad and fulfils a support role, using their heavy weaponry to eliminate enemy vehicles and/or infantry. Up to four Space Marines in the Devastator squad can have the weapons in the following list, the others have bolters:

Depending on which weapon they use, they can specialize in certain things. A rapid-firing heavy bolter can be utilized for eliminating large numbers of infantry, but is not effective against heavier vehicles. A Multi-Melta or Lascannon, although they would instantly kill most enemies it hits, are point-effect weapons with a low rate of fire, hitting only one infantryman at a time. They are thus more suited for tank killing. Missile Launchers, able to load and fire both frag (fragmentation) and krak (armor-piercing) missiles, can be quite effective against both infantry and tanks, but do not particularly excel in either field.

[edit] Veterans

Space Marines that have had centuries of experience in battle. Veterans usually remain with their Company, leading squads of their fellow Initiates into battle, but the Marines that have most proven their worth to the Chapter are inducted into the elite First Company. On occasion, a less experienced Initiate will be honoured with a position in the First Company, in response for an act of exceptional courage, tactical intelligence or prowess in battle.

  • Veteran Squads

Veterans of the First Company frequently take to the field as Tactical squads acting in support of other companies of the Chapter. Normally only one squad is present in any force. In some Chapters Veterans fight in other configurations, for example Dark Angel veterans often fight as Terminators (The Deathwing) while Blood Angel veterans commonly fight formed into Assault Squads. The Space Wolves, in another breach of common doctrine, maintain a group of elite veteran "lone wolves", called Wolf Scouts, consisting of fully trained Marines whose packs were either totally wiped out or who simply show a natural ability for stealth combat. This is the direct opposite to the usual practice, which is to put the Aspirants into lightly-armoured Scout squads to serve as auxiliaries outside of the main battle. Many Chapters give their First Company Veterans special names, such as the Black Templar's Sword Brethren, or the Wolf Guard of the Space Wolves.

  • Terminator Squads
Main article: Terminator (Warhammer 40,000)

Veteran squads may take to the battlefield wearing the rare suits of Tactical Dreadnought Armour. The heavily armoured and well equipped (typically storm bolter and powerfist) suits make the Terminator squads a powerful spearhead for Space Marine attacks.

[edit] Specialists

At any point during their long careers, a Space Marine may be called upon to train in a specialist field, to better support the Chapter in both combat and non-combat roles. Techmarines, Apothecaries, and Librarians begin their training during the neophyte stage of their indoctrination for showing technical, medical or psychic skills, respectively. Certain members are also inducted into the Deathwatch, the military arm of the Ordo Xenos, should they possess a certain skill useful against the vile xenos. An alternate to the 'official' Deathwatch are the Tyranid Hunters of the Ultramarines. Each Chapter will have its own style of fighting and so keep veterans that excel in that field, such as the Ravenwing of the Dark Angels or the Phalanx Terminators of the Imperial Fists. These organisations often provide honour guard status for high-ranking officials within the Chapter.

[edit] Apothecaries

For a Space Marine Chapter to have a future it must carefully protect and preserve the organic implants that turn an initiate into a Space Marine. His skills and tools allow an Apothecary to perform battle surgery with a good chance of success.

However, sometimes even the skills of an Apothecary are not enough to save a Marine. In this case, it is the Apothecary's responsibility to commit euthanasia, known as the Emperor's Peace, and harvest the two Progenoid Glands implanted in the unfortunate Marine's body, allowing for the gene-seed material to be cultivated and re-implanted in another Neophyte to create another Space Marine.

Though Apothecaries at first appear as the saviours of the Marines, some are more than meets the eye. Apothecaries are not always charged with only administering combat surgery and harvesting gene-seed. Some Chapters order their Apothecaries to conceal certain mutations seen as beneficial to the Chapter. Apothecaries also carry out various unspeakable surgeries to augment the Chapter, often causing Inquisitorial scrutiny.

The Apothecaries of the Blood Angels are called Sanguinary Priests and fulfil many of the spiritual roles of the Chaplains as they are kept busy dealing with the Black Rage and the Death Company.

[edit] Chaplains

The Chaplains are the spiritual leaders of a Chapter, warrior-priests that minister to the spiritual well-being of the Space Marines, instilling in them the values and beliefs of the Chapter along with promoting the worship of the Emperor. In battle, the Chaplains will be at the forefront of the Chapter, rousing their fellow Marines through their words and actions. Their power armour is black and often incorporates skull imagery, most commonly on the helmet. Most Chaplains wield a power mace called a "Crozius Arcanum." They are also equipped with a "Rosarius", given to the Chapter by the Ecclesiarchy as a sign of the (sometimes tenuous) link between their two faiths. Individual Chaplains are assigned to each Company within a Chapter. Others, including the Master of Sanctity (Chief Chaplain), operate within the Chapter's command structure independent of any specific Company.

Chaplains of certain Chapters have unique duties in addition to those laid out in the Codex Astartes. These are related to the Chapter's background and traditions. In the Blood Angels Chapter, Chaplains are tasked with seeking out signs of the Black Rage and leading the Death Companies into combat. Chaplains of the Dark Angels are tasked with interrogating captured 'Fallen' and forcing them to repent before killing them. The Iron Hands have the "Iron Fathers", a role that combines the duties of Chaplain and Techmarine. The Chaplains of the Space Wolves are known as "Wolf Priests", and perform a role that appears analogous to that of both Chaplain and Apothecary.

A Chaplain is fanatically loyal to his Chapter and to the Emperor, and works to instill a similar devotion in his fellow soldiers. In the few cases where a Chaplain has turned to Chaos (Word Bearers excepted) it has often been either the result of an earth-shattering crisis of faith or a perversion of the original loyalty. The Chaplains of the Soul Drinkers, for example, justified the Chapter's rebellion against the Administratum as "being loyal to the Emperor and not the Imperium." When a Space Marine Chapter does turn to Chaos, its Chaplains are often found and killed, as it was with the World Eaters and other Traitor Legions.

[edit] Librarians

Each Chapter is vigilant against corruption of their gene-seed through mutation. The psyker mutation, however, is often encouraged. Marines with psyker abilities are inducted into the Chapter's Librarium, where they can - with extensive training and rigorous screening processes - become immensely powerful Space Marine Librarians. These warriors are trained to use their talents on the battlefield as weapons and as tools of precognition. Off the battlefield, Librarians are responsible for maintaining and adding to the Chapter's annals and the collective knowledge built up over millennia of service. Librarians use a psychic hood as part of their equipment. The hood's cables tap into implants in the brain and act as an extension of the wearer's consciousness, alerting him to the use of other psychic abilities. The hood also aids the Librarian's will in disrupting enemy psykers' attacks. A Librarian's power armour is traditionally painted blue, with the Chapter icon on the left shoulder pad and a horned skull (the symbol of the Librarium) on the right. Librarians do not progress through Chapter ranks as normal Marines do, but instead progress from the rank of Lexicanium to Codicier, and from Codicier to Epistolary. The highest rank a Librarian may attain is Chief Librarian. This man, in addition to being the Chapter's most potent psyker, is head of the Chapter Librarium, and, more often than not, is a valued adviser to the Chapter Master himself.

Prior to the Horus Heresy, the Thousand Sons Legion fielded vast amounts of psykers due to their gene-seed and high propensity of the psyker gene manifesting in the population of their homeworld of Prospero. These Sorcerers used a raw, unbridled form of warp channeling, and the Emperor forbade it due to the high risk of corruption. This did not stop the Legion's fall to Chaos, however. An important distinction is made between Sorcerers, who serve Chaos, and the Librarians of the Astartes. Sorcerers draw power from the Warp directly and with ease due to their devotion to Chaos. Librarians must instead force the Warp to do their bidding against its will, forever skirting the edges of daemonic possession and death. Nonetheless both are susceptible to daemon incursions on their minds, as the daemon cares not for whom it possesses.

The Blood Ravens loyalist Chapter also maintains a large number of Librarians, who form a body within the Chapter named the Ordo Psykana. As shown in Dawn of War, the 3rd Company's Epistolary, Librarian Isador Akios, eventually falls foul of a Chaos relic - the Maledictum - and is summarily executed by Captain Gabriel Angelos.

[edit] Origin

The records about the beginning of the Space Marine Librarian contingent don’t agree between scholars, however according to Saphrus the ancient, in the time of Pre-Heresy the Emperor of Mankind himself held a council on the planet Nikaea, bidding that both sides present their position about the use of psychic and sorcery powers. Both sides argued each other to a standstill, and it was only the intervention of a contingent of Space Marine Librarians from other Legions that presented a compromise. One over all the Primarch Magnus, had in his Legion contained a high number of Marines who had undergone psychic mutation. The proposal was made that while the education of psykers to best serve humanity should be made a priority, the conduct of arcane sorcery would be outlawed as an unforgivable heresy. This compromise was made law without a provision for rebuttal, and the Edicts of Nikaea have stood for ten thousand years as official Imperial policy. In these, Magnus may be, was crucial in incepting Space Marine Librarians. Some Primarchs accepted his program into their own Legions, while others refused to deal with what they saw as sorcery by another name. The Chapter is continually vigilant to ensure that recruits will not taint the gene-seed of the Chapter through mutation. However, the psyker mutation is often encouraged, and these Marines are inducted into the corps of Librarians.

[edit] Recruitment

Any Space Marine that shows any psychic potential usually suffer from visions or unnatural insights in certian situations and is usually rigorously tested by the librarians of the chapters. In time the trainee may show enough psyker abilites to be trained by the librarians and when he has enough control over his powers and join the Librarium Librarians as a Lexicani and is usually apprenticed to one of the more experienced librarians in the chapter. They are powerful psykers; able to rip apart space or slow down time, and are a force to be reckoned with.

[edit] Training

The course to becoming a Librarian is a very difficult one, as they must not only be strong enough to survive their training, but possess enough mental discipline to fend off the daemons and entities of the Warp, as these creatures see the enhanced form and mind of a Librarian as a strong prize. Also, the Librarians are often isolated from the rest of the Chapter, as they carry with them the abilities the Space Marines are expected to abhor and purge in all other beings. Several Chapters have different names for Librarians such as the Space Wolves who call them Rune Priests. Some exclude their use entirely, like the Black Templars. Other chapters, such as the Blood Ravens, revere Librarians greatly, having a higher likeliness of them being included in their forces.

As the name suggests, the Librarium is a place within a Space Marine chapter's fortress monastery where the vast knowledge base, gathered over millennia of hard fought battles and great crusades, is stored. It is maintained and governed (by rank) by the Chief Librarian, Epistolary, and maintained by Codicers and the Lexicanum. Within the Space Wolves' Librarium is an armoured room for controlling the base's defense systems.

  • Lexicani are Space Marine Librarians who are not generally seen in combat. Most of the time, they are found within a Chapter's Librarium, storing the vast amounts of information the chapter has gathered over years of conflict and crusade. With more training, they can become Codicers and be given significant combat assignments, able to harness their powers with greater clarity. Lexicanum Librarians are often distinguished by their lack of a Psychic hood and helmet, usually appearing very similar to their brother-marines except for the blue Power Armour that Librarians wear.
  • Codicers are Space Marine Librarians who have enough control over their powers to go into combat. They usually receive further training to become Epistolary Librarians, so they can use multiple psychic powers in combat. They usually do not have a Psychic hood, but rather devices more useful than that of their Imperial Sanctioned Psyker brethren.
  • Epistolaries are powerful Space Marine Librarians and their primary role, while not on the battlefield, is that of chief psychic communications officer. Even on the battlefield he can send and receive psychic messages. In the 4th edition of Codex: Space Marines they count as the more powerful Librarian choice. They have more mastery over their psychic powers allowing them to use more than one in combat. They, like all Librarians, wear a Psychic Hood and carry a Force Weapon and have access to the Space Marine Armoury.
  • The Chief Librarian is the strongest and most psychicly attuned Librarian of a Space Marine Chapter, who all other Librarians in the chapter bow to. He is master of the Librarium and is a living encyclopedia of knowledge due to his unrestricted access to the texts of old. He is also a greatly talented Psyker, stronger than even the Epistolary Librarians. Chief Librarians often lead forces or assist the Chapter Master in battle. Chief Librarians also spend a great deal of time training their lesser Codicer and Lexicanum brothers.

The codex role of Librarian in the Space Wolves Chapter is taken by the Rune Priest. It is his duty to keep the knowledge of the chapter’s history, reciting the great sagas of old. The entire history of the chapter is passed through these sagas; therefore the duty of keeping the knowledge is a heavy one indeed. The Rune Priest's duty as a Librarian is carried out through the shamanic rituals of the Fenrisian shamanic traditions. One common power is to be able to summon a storm across the battlefield, covering the armies advance.

[edit] Combat Doctrine

These psychically-charged warriors are trained to use their abilities in the field of battle, as both weapons and tools of precognition. The Librarians use a psychic hood to suppress their enemies' use of psychic powers; the hood's wires tap directly into the brain and act as an extension of the wearer's consciousness, allowing him to detect nearby manipulations of the warp and to disrupt them through a series of crystals designed to augment the Librarian's willpower. When deployed, a Librarian's psychic might exceeds even that of the Eldar Farseers in sheer brutality. Librarians wield potent force weapons, psychically-charged power weapons that allow the Librarian to detonate a mental blast with each strike. In-game, this is represented by the ability to instantly kill any wounded model, regardless of their total wounds remaining.

Off the field of battle, the Librarians are responsible for maintaining and adding to the records of the Chapter, attending to the Chapter's annals and the collective knowledge built up over millennia of service.

[edit] Appearance

A Librarian's power armour is blue with the chapter icon on the left shoulder pad and a horned skull (the symbol of the Librarium) on the right.

[edit] Notable Members

Each Chapter has a Chief Librarian, the strongest and wisest psyker in the entire Chapter. One often becomes the Chief Librarian by virtue of experience or by demonstrating exceptional self-control and willpower, vital traits for an Imperial psyker. These are some named Chief Librarians:

  • Chief Librarian Tigurius - Tigurius is the Chief Librarian of the Ultramarines, a masterful telepath rumoured to be the most powerful of all Adeptus Astartes psykers, as it is said that he touched minds with the Tyranid Hive Mind and survived - a feat previously considered impossible, as the psychic weight of the Hive Mind would overload the telepath and subsume his soul. His equipment enhances the power of his psychic abilities, doubling their maximum range.
  • Chief Librarian Mephiston - Mephiston of the Blood Angels not only survived the Black Rage, but also greatly benefited from it. His gaze is so terrible even the most disciplined heroes would quiver in his wake, and he possesses the ability to fly under his own power. He is the most close-combat oriented Librarian, and perhaps the greatest Space Marine swordsman in the universe.
  • Ezekiel, Grand Master of the Dark Angel Librarians - Ezekiel is the greatest of all Dark Angel Librarians and has the ability to transverse the minds of his enemies, predicting their moves before they think of it. His Mind Worm psychic power can cause an opponent to drop whatever he is doing and babble incoherently for the rest of the game.
  • Njal Stormcaller, while not officially a Librarian, serves the Space Wolves chapter as their senior Wolf Priest, their radically altered equivalent. There are currently no rules for fielding him on the tabletop, and the latest Space Wolves codex does not even mention him.
  • Sarpedon, Chapter Master of the Soul Drinkers - Sarpedon was the Chief Librarian of the Soul Drinkers, currently excommunicate. He possesses the unique psychic power known as "The Hell" along with a physical mutation giving him extra appendages, manifesting in the form of chitinous spider legs which were unwillingly bestowed upon him by the Tzeentch Daemon Prince Abraxes.

[edit] Techmarines

Marines who show an aptitude with technology are often selected to undergo the training to become a Techmarine (Frater Astrotechnicus[6]), honorary members of the Adeptus Mechanicus and priests of the Machine God. The aspiring Techmarine is selected for thirty years instruction on Mars, learning the correct rites of activation and maintenance of the Chapter's equipment.

Techmarines are often called upon to make repairs that are beyond the training of a Space Marine, even in the midst of battle. Should a vehicle or artifact of technology be lost to the enemy, the Techmarines are at the forefront of the effort to retrieve it, often fighting as hard for their mechanical charges as they would for their Astartes brethren.

It should be noted that the Iron Hands Chapter maintain the office of Iron Father. This is a combination of the role of Techmarine and Chaplain.

[edit] Leadership

After hundreds of years of service to the Chapter, elite Marines may be called upon to take up one of the leadership positions within the Chapter.

[edit] Captains

Known as Brother-Captains within their individual Chapter, a Captain leads one of the ten Companies comprising a Chapter. Each is the foremost warrior in his Company. In addition to leading their brethren, the Captains will often be called upon to fulfill other roles, most often in charge of an aspect of the Chapter, including the armoury, supplies, or the Chapter Fleet. "Force Commander" is the general term for a Captain or Chapter Master heading a force of Space Marines.

[edit] Chapter Master

At the head of the Chapter, commanding the Space Marines as well as their ancillary staff and possibly also the entire planet is the Chapter Master. As a warrior with unparalleled experience, he must be also a master tactician responsible for the decisions that can affect battles.

The Chapter Master is responsible for keeping the secrets and following the traditions of the Chapter. He is often the ruler of the Chapter's homeworld, and holds the additional responsibilities of a Planetary Governor. In addition to their considerable combat prowess, Chapter Masters all have access to the Chapter's ancient artefacts and weaponry that make them almost inconceivably powerful (such as the Gauntlets of Ultramar, Death Mask of Sanguinius or the Sword of Secrets).

The actual title of the Chapter leader can vary throughout the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes: there is the "Supreme Grand Master" of the Dark Angels, the "High Marshal" of the Black Templars and the "Great Wolf" of the Space Wolves. The Ultramarine Chapter leader holds governorship of Macragge and is known also as "Lord Macragge," while the Blood Angels simply use "Commander", as this is the current title of Dante, Chapter Master of the Blood Angels.

[edit] Weapons and Equipment

As the most elite fighting organizations of the Imperium, Space Marine Chapters are equipped with some of the best weapons, vehicles and equipment the Imperium has ever produced.

[edit] Space Marines in Warhammer 40,000 fiction

In the novels and stories published by the Black Library (Games Workshop's fiction publishing division), the Space Marines are portrayed as being far more powerful than their tabletop equivalents. The reason behind this has been explained as to maintain game balance; all armies are on an equal enough footing that the skill, tactics and luck of the individual players have a greater effect on the results than any fictional stereotype. Even so, the Marines are one of the most balanced armies in terms of shooting ability compared to close combat ability.

However, a set of rules was created in January 2005 by Pete Haines, published in White Dwarf 300 in the US (but missing from UK publications). Titled "The Movie Space Marine List", these rules strove to match the Space Marines portrayed in the fiction, resulting in 'armies' of ten or less Space Marines that were more than capable of taking on regular-sized armies from other Codexes. These rules were made completely unofficial, and players were warned to be careful when using them against opponents.


[edit] Popular chapter colour schemes

A list here follows of some of the most well known chapter colour schemes and a few interesting points on the chapters where possible:

Ultramarines: The Ultramarines are what Space Marines are most commonly potrayed as; Marines wearing blue power armour. Sergeants wear red helmets Blood Angels: Red power armour. Death company members wear black. Devastators have blue helmets and Asault marines have yellow helmets. Dark Angels: Usually dark green armour, and several marines wear off-white yellowish robes.However, Terminator armour is similar in colour to the robes. Sergeants commonly wear hoods the same colour as the robes. Crimson Fists: Wear armour similar to Ultramarines but with crimson gauntlets (as their name suggests). The Crimson Fists were a force in the first ever Warhammer 40000 scenario (the other being the orks of Warboss Thrugg Bullneck).The Fists were the Marines on the cover of Rogue Trader.

[edit] Appearances

Outside the WH40K game and Epic, Space Marines have also featured in:

[edit] Tabletop game

  • Space Crusade
  • Advanced Space Crusade
  • Space Hulk
  • Talisman - through the Space expansion

[edit] Computer games

[edit] Footnotes

 This section does not cite any references or sources. (March 2007)
Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
  1. ^ It has variously been claimed that the Codex Astartes was composed by Roboute Guilliman, Leman Russ and Rogal Dorn. The contents have varied too: while most modern Space Marine imagery makes little use of camouflage, this was originally held to be advised by the Codex Astartes (although ignored by many Chapters) and many contemporary Space Marines of the game's early years wore camouflaged armour.
  2. ^ In the earliest background, the Ultramarines were a Third, rather than First Founding Chapter, and were said to have been founded during the Horus Heresy. Upon its creation, "the Emperor gave the chapter the number 13 - formerly the number of one of the treacher-legions now banished to the Eye of Terror 'without number and name with all honours erased'" (White Dwarf 97). This however, seems to have been retconned in later editions as the Ultramarines' back story extends to before the Horus Heresy.
  3. ^ The Inquisition are unsurprisingly keen to discover if the Legion of the Damned and the Fire Hawks are in fact one and the same Chapter, and if so, how they gained their mysterious and deadly abilities. [1]
  4. ^ White Dwarf magazines 126 and 136, circa 1990-91
  5. ^ White Dwarf 235
  6. ^ Land Raider by Rick Priestley, White Dwarf 105)

[edit] References

[edit] See also

v • d • e
Warhammer 40,000
Forces of the Imperium
Forces of Chaos
Chaos Gods
Alien races
Dark Eldar · Eldar · Orks · Necrons · Tau · Tyranids
Locations
Expansions
Spin-offs